The purification of molecules of biological origin (biomolecules), such as proteins and nucleic acids from mixtures has generally been based on laboratory techniques developed for research operations. For example, techniques developed for laboratory operations in chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, or immunology may currently be used for isolation and purification of biomolecules. These techniques may involve numerous steps, including, for example, lysing cells in a solution to release biological molecules, centrifugation to pellet material or move fluid through a solid-phase capture structure, and adding a solution to a solid phase capture structure to release adsorbed purified biomolecules from said structure. The solution of resuspended biomolecules may then, for example, be used in downstream applications as diverse as immunoassay, PCR, or mass spectrometry.
While effective, these purification procedures may be very time and labor intensive. Further, the various steps may generally be specific to the particular molecules being analyzed. Accordingly, the techniques may be impractical for use in clinical or field applications.